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Court in Thailand clears way for new government

Thailand's Supreme Court cleared the way yesterday for a political party linked to ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to form a new government, dismissing legal challenges to its electoral victory last month.

The court said it did not have the power to rule on several complaints alleging electoral law violations by the Thaksin-linked People's Power Party, which won the most seats but failed to obtain an absolute majority in the Dec 23 election.

The court also ruled on a case that sought to nullify the election, dismissing a complaint that the state Election Commission was not legally authorized to allow advance and absentee voting.

"We were confident the court would treat the People Power Party fairly," secretary-general Surapong Suebwonglee said amid jubilation at his party headquarters. "Our next move is to announce a six-party coalition government officially tomorrow."

Analysts said the court ruling was the final nail in the coffin for the political aspirations of the generals who removed Thaksin in a September 2006 coup. It had always appeared the most likely verdict, given the PPP's strong election showing.

"The junta group have really run out of options other than something really disruptive," Bangkok-based political analyst and Thaksin biographer Chris Baker said.

"But they have recognized that would not be a good idea. To try some type of nuclear solution at this stage would rebound on them very badly," he said.

A deal had probably been agreed between Thaksin, who has announced his hope of returning to Thailand by April despite facing corruption charges, and royalist military camps not to go after each other, he added.

The PPP-led coalition set to be announced today looks likely to include five other small parties and command around 320 of the 480 seats in parliament.

The Democrats, Thailand's oldest political party who failed to make headway despite Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai party being disbanded after the coup, are scheduled to be the only party in opposition.

Supporters of the PPP, which openly backs telecoms billionaire Thaksin, cheered at party headquarters as television stations relayed the verdict from the court that the judges had "decided to reject all the challenges" against it.

The formation of an elected government after more than two years of political crisis, punctuated by the coup, should help the stock market, which has dropped 8 percent this year, suffering along with other bourses around the world.

The case against the PPP was brought by a member of the Democrat party who accused it of breaching election laws.
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